Mantis Space, a space and advanced energy startup based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed seed round of more than $10 million to build orbital energy infrastructure designed to remove one of the most fundamental constraints in satellite operations: Earth’s shadow.
The company is developing a constellation of spacecraft designed to remain nearly continuously in sunlight and transmit power to satellites operating in eclipse. This system would allow satellites, space stations, and orbital compute platforms to receive power through their solar arrays in real time, regardless of their position relative to the sun.
The seed round was led by Rule 1 Ventures alongside Montauk Capital, which incubated Mantis Space through its venture studio platform. The funding will support hiring efforts and the expansion of the company’s go-to-market operations from its headquarters in Albuquerque.
The orbital economy currently exceeds $600 billion and is projected to approach $1 trillion by 2040. Satellites underpin critical global infrastructure, including GPS navigation, broadband connectivity, intelligence systems, climate monitoring, and communications.
However, satellites remain constrained by a fundamental physical limitation. Power generation relies entirely on direct sunlight, and satellites typically spend nearly one-third of their operational life in Earth’s shadow. During those periods, power generation stops and systems must rely on battery reserves, which reduces operational performance and limits return on investment.
To mitigate these constraints, many satellites are placed in sun-synchronous orbits, designed primarily to maximize solar exposure rather than mission productivity. These orbital paths can leave satellites outside of their primary revenue-generating or mission areas up to 70 percent of each day.
Mantis Space aims to change this dynamic by enabling satellites to receive power regardless of their position relative to sunlight. This capability could allow spacecraft to remain in optimal operational locations, increasing mission utilization, extending operational lifetimes, and improving the economic returns of satellite systems by an estimated two to three times.
As satellite systems become more compute-intensive and mission-critical, power constraints are increasingly a significant economic bottleneck. The next generation of space infrastructure is expected to include orbital data centers, edge compute platforms, and persistent intelligence systems that require uninterrupted high-density power.
Mantis Space believes its orbital power network will provide the foundational energy layer required for these emerging capabilities.
The founding team brings extensive experience in aerospace, defense, and engineering. CEO Eric Truitt previously helped lead BlueHalo through its $4.5 billion exit to AeroVironment and earlier co-founded PredaSAR and Terran Orbital, which was later acquired by Lockheed Martin. Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer Hugh Wyman Howard III served 32 years in Naval Special Warfare and previously held the role of Director of Operations at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. COO Jeremy Scheerer has led defense and intelligence portfolios at MapLarge and the Georgia Tech Research Institute and managed a U.S. Air Force program exceeding $1 billion.
The company has also assembled an engineering team with experience across space systems, optics, and advanced electronics. Chief Engineer John Sandusky previously spent more than 20 years leading space, solar, and laser programs at Sandia National Laboratories. Director of Optical Engineering Greg Brady worked on optical systems used in Apple’s Face ID and played a role in the optical telescope element of the James Webb Space Telescope. Director of Electrical Engineering Quentin Diduck previously led electrical engineering efforts behind MicroLED technology at Google’s Raxium division and earlier served as Director of Research and Development at Eridan Communications.
Mantis Space is also supported by Admiral James A. Winnefeld Jr., the ninth Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who serves as a general partner at Rule 1 Ventures.
The company believes that removing power limitations in orbit will unlock the next phase of the commercial space economy, enabling more capable satellites, longer mission durations, and entirely new types of space infrastructure.
KEY QUOTES
“We are at the beginning of a space infrastructure supercycle. Launch has scaled. Manufacturing has scaled. But performance in orbit is still constrained by physics. Every asset going up whether it’s a defense sensor, a broadband satellite, or an orbital compute node has the same power problem. We’re building the grid that makes all of it work.”
Eric Truitt, CEO Of Mantis Space
“Power is foundational infrastructure. As the orbital economy matures, the limiting factor shifts from launch to performance. Mantis Space is addressing one of the last unbuilt layers of space infrastructure.”
Admiral James A. Winnefeld Jr., General Partner At Rule 1 Ventures
“Enduring companies remove systemic constraints. Shared energy in orbit is a prerequisite for the next phase of commercial and defense expansion in space. We funded Mantis Space to create that foundation.”
Philip Krim, Co Founder And CEO Of Montauk Capital
